Flexible seal check valve



Sept. 13, 1949. A. BERTEA 2,481,713

FLEXIBLE SEAL CHECK VALVE Filed April'v 30, 1945 2 sheets-sheet 1 .FL/7:6. j.

A JNVENToR.

ALEX 552754,

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"n EEBTEA FLEXIBLE SEA1'J`CHEGK VALVE Sept. 13, 1949.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 30, 1945 I INVENroR. fl/.5x 55PM-A, BY l lthough-the movable valve ned form of valve assembly;

Patented Sept. 13, 1949 omer.

FLEXIBLE SEAL CHECK VALVE Alex Bertea, Pasadena., Calif. Application April 30, 1945, Serial No. 591,142

4 claims. (c1. 251-144) My invention relates to check valves and has particular reference to a check valve provided with a iiexible seal for with the movable member of the valve.

C eck valve structures designed for use in hyd aulic and pneumatic systems are required to m` e a fluid-tight-\sea1"in relatively small prese differences on opposite sides of the movable countered in insuring a iluid-tight seal even member and the seating surface against which it is to seal are not only accurately machined but are lapped or otherwise fitted to each other.

It is an object of my invention to provide a valve assembly in which the various parts of the valve may be mass produced and assembled together without requiring any iitting operations of the valve members after assembly,

Another object of myl invention is to provide a valve of the character described wherein a relatively thin-walled tubular seal is provided in addition to the seating surface against which the movable valve member seats, the flexible sealing member engaging the movable valve member as it approaches seating position and is exed by uid pressure into fluid-tight sealing relation with the movable valve member.

Another object of my invention is to provide a valve structure of the character described which is inexpensive to manufacture.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent from a study of the following specifications, read in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view taken through a.l check valve assembly constructed in accordance with my invention and illustrating the position of the parts when lthe valve is in closed position;

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 and illustrating the position of the parts when the valve is in open position;

Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of a spring sleeve employed in the valve construction shown in Figs. 1 and 2;

Fig. 4v is a detail perspective view of a guide employed in the assembly shown in Figs. 1 and 2;

Fig 5 is a longitudinal sectional view of a modiand Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional view taken along line VI-VI of Fig. 5.

Referring to the drawings, I have illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 a valve assembly which comprises a body member I, one

forming a fluid-tight seal :ive member and considerable dimculty has been end of which is formed with an axially extending boss 2 threaded as indicated at 3 for attachment to standard iittings in a hydraulic or Vpneumatic line. The body I is provided with a fluid outlet passage 4 which communicates with an internal bore 5 extending from the end of the body opposite to the coupling boss 2, the bore being threaded at the end opposite the boss as indicated at 5 to threadedly receive a plug member 'I formed with a threaded boss 8 for connection in the hydraulic or pneumatic line and having a fluid inlet .passage 9 communicating with an enlarged bore I0.

A valve seat I I is preferably formed as a separate cylindrical member adapted to seat upon a shoulder I2 formed at the junction between the iluid outlet passage 4 and the body bore 5, the valve seat having a, tapered seating surface as indicated at I3.

It will be noted that the external diameter of the valve seat II is considerably less than the diameter of the body bore 5 and about the exterior surface of the seat II I place a sealing member I4 formed as a hollow tube, the walls of whichv taper toward the up stream side of the valve to provide a relatively iiexible seal projecting slightly beyond the inner edge of the valve seat II. The seal l may be secured in place by any suitable means, one form of which, as illus'- trated herein, comprising forming an annular rib I5 on the valve seat II adapted to bear against a radially extending flange formed upon the outer end of the seal I4. The seal is held in place by means of a spring I6 adapted to have one of its ends bear against the flange of the seal while the other of its ends bears against the end I1 of the plug member 1. The spring I5 may be of any desired construction though I prefer to employ a spring sleeve, as indicated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, formed from a tube of suitable spring material having staggered transverse cuts I8 formed through the walls of the tube to permit the resilient shortening or lengthening of the tube under pressure.

The movable valve member is preferably constructed as a ball or sphere I9 urged by means of a compression spring 20 into seating relation with the seating surface I3, the diameter of the ball I9 being such that as it approaches said relation upon the seat II it will rst engage the thin-Walled end of the seal I4, the seal being forced by fluid pressure exerted from the up stream side of the assembly into tight sealing relation with the movable valve member, the thin walls oi the seal flexing sufficiently to insure fluid-tight sealing relation with the movable valve member irrespective of minor inaccuracies in the machining of the seal, seat and movable valve member.

To guide the movable valve member in its movements toward and away from the seat, I provide a cage member 2I having a shape illustrated particularly in Fig. 4 as a piece of metal having four radially extending arms 22 providing a substantially cross-shaped transverse cross section, the inner ends of each of the arms being curved as indicated at to the radius of the ball I9. 'I'he outer ends ci the arms 22 are reduced in width as indicated at 24 to be received within the coils of the spring 20.

By referring particularly to Figs. 1 and 2, it will be noted that a portion of the bore in the plug member 1 is of reduced diameter, as indicated at 25, this reduced diameter beingsubstantially equal to the external diameter o1 the helical spring 20 so that the eect of the spring andi cage assembly is to ilexibly guide the ball I9 in its movements toward and away from the valve seat II. s

In order to maintain a uuid-tight seal between the valve body I and the plug 1, an O-ring seal 1a may be employed in an annulargroove formed about a part of the plug 1 which pro- `ects within the body I. Likewise a seal may be readily provided between the valve seat II and seal I4 by disposing an 0ring seal IIa at the up stream end of the valve body bore to bear against the ange I5 and the end of the seal I4.

In the operation of the valve structure thus far described, the uid pressures exerted on the up stream side of the ball I9 willcause. the ball to open to permit ilow of iuid in one direction through the valve assembly while when the iiow of fluid is stopped the spring 20, in combination' the down stream side oi' with back pressure on the line, will cause the ball to move toward its seat and in so doing the ball will engage the iiexible end of the tubular seal I4 prior to coming to rest upon the tapered seating surface I3. The pressure of the iiuid on the down stream side of the valve will be exerted upon the external thin walls of the seal I4, with the ball a fluid-tight seal free from any substantial leakage. The metal to metal seal provides for great strength at the seal, enabling the valve to withstand back pressures of extremely high value though, as will be observed from an inspection of Figs. 1 and 2, the forces exerted externally of the seal I4 will be resisted by the relatively heavy metal walls of the seat II, except at the small over-hang of the seal sleeve adjacent its point of contact with the surface of the ball. In Figs. 5 and 6 I have illustrated a somewhat modied form of check valve assembly embodying the same type of metal to metal seal, the form of valve shown in Figs. 5 and 6 including a body 50 having a coupling end '5I and a relatively large diametered longitudinal bore 52 communicating with a uid inlet passage 53. The plug member 54, like the plug member described with reference to Figs. 1 through 4, is formed with a coupling end 55, a fluid outlet passage 56, which communicates with a` longitudinal bore 51 formed upon an inwardly projecting boss 58 which is threaded as indicated at 59 for engagement with and sealing relation to the body 50.

Adjacent the inlet end I mount a valve seat 60 similar to the valve seat I I, the seat 60 being surrounded by a flexible sealing sleeve 5I, the thin inner end of which projects beyond or over- 23 upon a radius equal causing it to form hangs the end of the seat 60 beyond the tapered seating surface 62 thereof to engage and seal upon a movable ball valve member 63 in the same manner as was described with reference to Figs. 1 through 4.

In this'form o1' valve structure, however, the ball guiding mechanism comprises a cage 64 having a relatively large longitudinal bore 66 extending therethrough and about which a plurality of iiuid passage bores 61 (see Fig. 6) are formed so as to permit the ready W of uid past the ball when the valve is in open position. The bore 51 in the plug 54 is preferably formed with a tapered portion indicated at 68 communicating with a reduced diameter portion adjacent the fluid outlet passage '55, the smaller diameter portion oi the bore forming a guide for 'a helical spring 69, one end of which bears against the ball and urges it toward valve-closing position while the shape given to the bore 51 provides a substantially stream-lined passageway through the valve for permitting the ready flow of fluids therethrough without substantial turbulence.

O-ring seals 1U and 1I may be disposed in positions corresponding to those of seals 1a and IIa described with reference to Figs. 1 through 4 for the purpose of sealing, respectively, between the valve body and plug and the valve seat metal seal and`body. 1

Again it will be noted, as in the form of the invention described in Figs. 1 through 4, that all of the parts may be readily manufactured independently of each other and merely assembled together without the necessity of any further machining operations during or after assembly, the several parts ofthe assembly adapting themselves to the other parts of the assembly.

By employing the exible metal seal as de`v scribed, there is no need for maintaining low tolerances in the manufacturing of the individual parts, the exing of the seal compensating for any minor inaccuracies in the manufacture of the parts and insuring a strong duid-tight seal between the valve seat member and the movable member of the valve.

It will'be. understood that by selecting the strength of the springs 20 and 69 the uid pressure differential required to open the valve may be fixed at any desired value, permitting the valve to be adapted 4to u-id lines and installations over a wide variation of fluid pressures employed in the lines of installations.

While I have shown and described the preferred embodiment of my invention, I do not desire to be limited to any of the details of construction shown and described herein, except as dened in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a check valve structure, an elongated -valve body, coupling means formed upon one end of said valve body for coupling the body to a uid line, a longitudinal bore extending through said valve body defining a valve chamber within said body, a plug member threaded into said bore and having a coupling member formed thereon for coupling the plug member to the fluid line, a tubular valve seat member disposed in said bore adjacent the up stream end of said bore, a movable valve member disposed in said bore for movement toward and away from said valve seat member, said valve seat member having at least that portion of its external side wall adjacent the movable valve member spaced annularly away from the wall of said valve body bore, a sealing member comprising a thin flexible metal sleeve surrounding said named portion oi' the wall of said valve seat member, the exterior wall of said sleeve being spaced annularly from the adjacent wall oi' said bore to subject said sleeve to the eiiect of iluid pressure on the down stream side of said valve structure, said sleeve projecting toward the movable valve member a short distance beyond the down stream end of the valve seat member to engage and form a iiuid-tight seal with said movable valve member prior to the seating of said movable valve member upon said valve seat member, an external radial flange on said valve seat member, a radial flange on said sealing sleeve engaging the seat iiange, and spring means interposed between the radial ange oi said sealing sleeve and the inner end of said plug for holding said valve seat and sealing sleeve in place within the bore of said body.

2. In a check valve structure, an elongated valve body having a longitudinal bore extending from one of its ends to define a valve chamber therein, a plug threaded into said bore for completing the housing for said valve chamber, a valve seat member disposed in said chamber adjacent the up stream end thereof, a movable valve member in said chamber disposed for movement toward and away from said valve seat member, and resilient means for holding said valve seat member in place and for guiding the movable valve member, comprising a tubular guide surrounding said movable valve member having a plurality of circumferential cuts extending about said tubular guide and spaced longitudinally from each other, the ends of the adjacent cuts being staggered relative to each other to dispose the ends of one cut in longitudinal alignment with that 'portion of the next adjacent cuts lying between the ends of said next adjacent cuts and having its up stream end engaged with and urging said valve seat member 4against the stream end of said bore, and having its down stream end contacted by the plug to linitially compress it and hold it in the bore.

3. In a check valve structure. a valve body having a longitudinal bore extending through said valve body and defining a valve chamber therein, a plug member threaded into said bore. a tubular valve seat member disposed in said chamber and having an external ilange, a movable valve member disposed in said chamber for movement toward and away from said valve, a sleeve disposed about said tubular valve seat member and having an external ilange engaging the seat flange and having an end projecting toward the movable valve member a short distance beyond the end of the valve seat member to engage and form a iiuid tight seal with said movable valve member, and a spring member disposed in said chamber and contacting said sleeve flange and held therein by said plug member so that the sleeve and the seat member are pressed against one end of said chamber.

4. A check valve for operation in uid systems utilizing pressures in excess of 1,500 pounds per square inch comprising, a main body having a bore therein communicating with a restricted inlet, a tubular valve seat member disposed in the bore and spaced from the inner walls thereof and terminating in a conical valve seat, a thin flexible metal sleeve surrounding the tubular valve seat and extending into the bore past the conical end of the valve seat member, means for sealing said seat member and said sleeve in said bore, a ball poppet placed within the bore, a spring disposed in the bore for urging the ball toward the valve seat. and a plug member adapted to close the bore and having an outlet passage communicating therewith, the strength of the sleeve being so related to the pressure used that it elastlcally deforma under system pressure to seal tightly against the seated ball.

ALEX BERTEA.

REFERENCES CITED The `following references are oi record in the 

